New Castle man arrested for death of infant son

NEW CASTLE, Pa. - A New Castle man told police he accidently slammed his 6-week-old son against a door frame on Friday shortly before the infant died.

Police early Saturday charged Terrance R. Murphy, 21, with homicide, aggravated assault and simple assault, for the death of his son, Terrance Murphy Jr.

According to a criminal complaint, Murphy initially told police that he had propped up the baby with a bottle of formula on a bed late Friday morning at a city apartment and stepped out of the room to smoke. He said he heard the baby choking and ran back into the bedroom, finding the baby covered with formula.

After calling the baby’s mother, Tyrenna Stockton, he said he performed CPR on the baby, using the adult method, in which both hands do chest compressions, according to the court document.

Medics took the baby to Jameson Memorial Hospital, police said, where he died around 12:30 p.m.

Police said when they want back to the apartment later in the day to talk to Murphy and Stockton, they found him hiding in a closet.

Police said he was wanted on a warrant charging him with simple assault and other offenses from a Nov. 5 incident in New Castle.

Police said that as they interviewed Murphy Friday, he changed his story a couple of times, finally telling police, “It was an accident,” that he was hurrying through the apartment with the baby, striking the baby on a door frame.

Forensic pathologist Dr. James Smith said that the baby had two large skull fractures, and ruled his death a homicide, police said.

Murphy remained in the Lawrence County Jail Saturday.

This article was written by Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.